Voice of the people (letter.)

Cycling Dangers

October 07, 1999|By Dave Jones.

EVANSTON — This is in response to "Sidewalk dangers" (Voice of the people, Oct. 2). The reason cyclists ride on the sidewalks is due to the lack of bike lanes in Evanston. Ridge Avenue, which cuts through the heart of the city, also prohibits cyclists from riding on the street (which is understandable because it's very narrow).

It's almost foolish to try and ride a bike on any of the other important streets because one tends to block traffic by doing so. Because I drive frequently (in addition to biking), I try to respect drivers when I bike by riding on the sidewalk to prevent traffic congestion and for my own safety. Having to navigate around a cyclist in my car is quite annoying.

Downtown Evanston is a death trap for any cyclists riding on the streets. It's busy, the lane size changes often and all the one-way streets are confusing and aggravating to drivers. I'd even say that there's a greater risk of a cyclist getting hit by a car than there is of a cyclist hitting a pedestrian.

Sometimes I obey the "no bicycles" sign, but there are times when I don't want to walk my bike to my destination. The streets aren't worth the risk.

Until Evanston gets bike lanes, I'm using the sidewalks. They're not strictly for pedestrians. So look out.